


I Was Made For Loving You

by OnlyHereForGallavich (orphan_account)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Deaf!Mickey, Fluff, Gallavich, M/M, Mute!Mickey, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Words, bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 08:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8704117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/OnlyHereForGallavich
Summary: In a world where your skin is tattooed with your soulmate's first words to you, how does the Ian have words when Mickey is mute?





	

**Author's Note:**

> hii guys!  
> I love soulmate au's so here we go :)  
> Please note that whenever Ian says something, Mickey is reading his lips.  
> enjoy xxx
> 
> p.s. the title is inspired by the beautiful song of the same name by Tori Kelly and Ed Sheeran 
> 
> p.p.s. Mickey is baaaaaaaaaaaack I can'ttttt!!!

Ian was only fifteen when he first came face to face with the Milkovich boy who would come to own him; body, heart and soul. But at the moment, he was just Mandy’s obnoxious older brother who ignored him completely. Mickey would appear at random times, pilfer pizza bagels and disappear into his room with no apologies or greetings. Ian would have never imagined, not in a million years, that he would be Ian’s soulmate.

His soulmate. The person who was written into his life, destined to be the one who loved him and was loved by him the way no one else ever could. The one who had that indelible connection to him since they were born, immortalised in the tattooed ‘I love you’ on his hip. Ian never quite understood how his soulmate’s first words could be a confession of love, but every time he traced over those letters, he wanted it no other way.

Mickey Milkovich, on the other hand, wanted the words gone the moment they appeared on his skin. Because his soulmate would be a boy, and his father finding out he was gay was a fate worse than living without the only person he was meant to be with. After a particularly bad beating when he was nine, Mickey had lost his hearing, and his voice soon followed. He became a completely silent entity, something that always pissed his dad off. He thought Mickey was voluntarily silent just to annoy him. But eleven years had passed since then, and his father had accepted his son would never speak again. 

The soulmate bond was a powerful thing, and the bond could convey emotions and feelings. Ian would spend many a night in tears because he could feel his mate’s life saturated with physical and emotional pain. Every time Terry would break Mickey’s bones heedlessly, Ian hurt with him. When Monica slashed her wrists, Mickey could only helplessly FEEL as panic and fear filled his soulmate. It was a type of pain in itself; knowing your fated was hurting, and you could do nothing about it.

Mickey pitied his soulmate, figuring he would have to grow up with no words. But perhaps that was safer, considering being gay was a danger in itself. Hiding the words etched onto his collarbone was a constant source of stress. He couldn’t afford someone seeing, and then witnessing his word exchange with a MAN. He might as well kill himself in advance. 

He had thought about it. How couldn’t he, growing up with an abusive father and being told every day that who he was, was wrong and unnatural. But he had felt how much it hurt when his soulmate even fell and cut his leg open when they were younger. He could only imagine how it would feel to have your soulmate gone forever, beyond your reach, never to be yours. Or would he die too? The thought itself made him think twice before doing anything. The thought of his soulmate dying, the person who he had never met, yet loved most in the world, was too painful to comprehend. 

Mickey’s words proudly read, ‘C’mon, it’s not safe for us here’. They were so accurate; it made him want to laugh. There was nothing less safe than being gay in the Southside. He was safer without his mate, and he was safer without Mickey. That was what Mickey always told himself. Terry would kill them both himself if he found out. Yet, when he saw the word ‘us’, his heart ached with how RIGHT it sounded, like that was the way it was meant to be.

And it was. That was how it was supposed to be. He spent his life hiding from the truth, but it caught up to him soon enough. 

//

Ian, Mickey, Mandy and Lip were at some crappy street fight. Mandy and Lip had had their word exchange a few weeks ago, and had become inseparable. Ian now knew that Mickey’s lack of communication wasn’t out of rudeness, but inability. When Mandy first told him the story of his dad beating Mickey till his hearing was damaged, Ian was filled with rage like he had never felt before. Then, his mind drudged up an old memory of himself as a kid, crying and writhing in Fiona’s arms because his head and ears hurt so goddamn much. His mind wandered, to the thought of Mickey being his fated, but he shook it out of his head soon enough. He had words. And Mickey couldn’t speak. Still, the thought tugged at his heartstrings.

The cops showed up at the fight while Mandy and Lip were getting beer for all four of them. Ian frantically looked for them, calling, “Mandy, Lip, let’s get the fuck out of here!” He then turned to Mickey urgently, saying, “C’mon, it’s not safe for us here.” 

Mickey, who had been striding to get his sister, froze in his tracks and looked up at Ian, blue eyes blown wide open. “Mickey,” Ian said with a light shove, encouraging him forward. Thankfully, Mickey’s body began to cooperate with him again and the four ran to their street. 

Mickey’s mind, however, was floating on a whole different plane. All he was thinking was Ian Gallagher. Ian fucking Gallagher. Ian Gallagher was his soulmate.

Some part of him wanted to run right up to Ian and tell him. Another part of him was held back by all the reservations he had had his entire life. 

So he settled on subtlety, which definitely wasn’t his strong point. When Ian came to his house with Mandy the next day, he wore a t-shirt with a lower neckline than usual, so his words were out in the open. He was nervous; he always kept his words carefully tucked away. 

For the rest of his life, Mickey would never forget how Ian looked as he saw the words, as his mind made connections. Mickey watched him carefully, hoping that he wasn’t wrong, that the beautiful boy in front of him was in fact his soulmate. He loudly made his way to his room suggestively, and smiled when he saw Gallagher make some bullshit excuse about having to use the bathroom. 

Ian walked into his room. Green eyes met blue. “You,” Ian breathed, “It’s you.” Mickey could do nothing but nod, wishing he could say something. Ian hesitantly stepped closer, before pressing his lips to Mickey’s.

It was like coming home. 

It made sense suddenly; the irrevocable connection Lip and Mandy kept going on and on about. It was completely clear that this, THIS was what was always going to happen, no matter how much they tried to escape it. 

//

“But I have words.” Ian wondered aloud as they finally drew apart. Mickey’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, then fear, as he wondered if they were wrong about the whole thing. Ian felt the fear through the bond and lay a comforting hand on Mickey’s face. “No. Don’t you feel it Mick? I was made for this, for you.” He blushed lightly as he said the last sentence, making Mickey’s face brighten up with a wry smirk. Of course his mate would be a complete dork. 

Ian reached down; about to push his pants down a little so Mickey could see the words on his hips, but Mickey reached a hand out to stop him quickly, shaking his head. Ian was clearly confused, so Mickey grabbed an old ballpoint and a receipt. In his messy scrawl, Ian could see the words, ‘I want to say them.’ 

Ian got what he meant. Mickey didn’t want a cheat sheet. He wanted to be able to say those words when the time came, himself. 

“Okay,” Ian whispered. Mickey traced his thumb over Ian’s waistline, giddy on the promise the future now held. That someone would love him more than anything else, that he would one day say something to his soulmate.

//

Flash forward two years, and the boys were living in a crappy two bedroom together. Terry had gotten life after he tried to kill the boys when he caught them together. Ian had almost followed en suite on the charge of attempted murder after Terry had stabbed Mickey in front of him, and he shot Terry. But fucking with someone’s soulmate was unacceptable, and the court ruled it self defense. 

Mickey still hadn’t said his first words to Ian. It was a little tedious constantly covering his words with band aids, but it was the one thing Mickey had asked him for.

They were happy, really happy.

That Christmas, Mickey had a surprise for Ian he had been planning for months. He had been going to speech therapy, and though he was still not a great orator, he had one thing he had decided was the first thing he wanted to have Ian hear in his voice.

So that Christmas morning, as they lay tangled up in bed, Mickey kissed Ian lightly and whispered, “I love you.”


End file.
